Truss



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. W, RIGGS, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

TIR/USS.

Specification of Letters Patent N o. 18,708, dated November 24, 1857.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. IV. Ricos, of Plainfield, in the county of Unionand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inTrusses for the Support and Radical Cure of Hernia; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure l, is a front view of a singletruss with my improvement. Fig. 2, is a face view of the pad full size.Fig. 3, is a central section of the same corresponding with Fig. 2. Fig.4, is a back view of a pad somewhat modied.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists in constructing the pad of a truss of a seriesof balls or knobs or in any way making it with a series of knobs orprotuberances on its face, the number of such balls, knobs orprotuberances and their arrangement being such as to cause the force oftheA truss spring to be exerted at several distinct points or intervalsaround and along both sides or margins of the inguinal canal, andabdominal ring.

To enable others to make and use my invention I will proceed to describeits construction and operation.

The pad represented in Figs. l, 2 and 3, is constructed by attaching anumber of semispheroidal knobs a, b, b, of hard india rubber, wood,glass, porcelain or other material to a stiff plate B, of metal, thesaid knobs being arranged with their axes perpendicular to the plate,the knob a, being arranged centrally with the others Z9, arranged aroundit at short distances apart in such manner that they may becircumscribed by an ellipse of about the same size as an ordinary convextruss pad. The central knob a, should be so applied as to be capable ofremoval, at pleasure to avoid pressure upon and consequent injury to thespermatic cord. The pad represented in Fig. 4, has a similar plate B,with a central pad a, like that of the pad shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, andwith surrounding pads b, b, of ovoid form having their axes arrangedparallel or nearly so with the plate B. The pad may be constructed in avariety of ways, provided always that its face has the same knobbed ornoduled character, as for instance it may be made all in one piece ofany suitable material or may be constructed with a plate of similar formto B, as repre sented in the drawing but with the plate thin enough andof suitable metal to give it a degree of elasticity. It is attached tothe main spring A of the truss in the usual manner.

In explanation of the superior effect of my improved pad as comparedwith the` truss pads heretofore used I will first remark that it is awell known fact that continued pressure upon the animal tissues isalways followed by loss of substance and attenua tion by reason ofabsorption of the tissues thus acted upon. As an exemplication of thistruth it is only necessary to refer to cases in which for anyconsiderable time the ordinary convex truss pad has been worn, theuniform and inevitable effect being to obliterate the capillary vesselsand reduce the subjacent tissues to a mere tendinous expansion, thusaggravating the disease and in many instances rendering the herniaincurable by the very means intended for its relief. The concave orring-pad, though it does not necessarily produce absorption of thetissues to the same extent-and is for this reason preferable, perhaps,as a means of temporary relief or support-yet, it is wholly incapableof^producing adhesive inflammation, and cannot therefore be relied on,in any case, as a means of cure. The same result is produced by theconvex or ring pad.

My improved pad not only obviates the foregoing objections to the convexand concave pads, but it combines all the desirable qualities claimedfor either while at the same time it is believed to possess importantadvantages over any truss heretofore employed for the cure of hernia,which may be enumerated as follows, 1st: Having many bearings upon thesurface it is immovable by the various motions of the body. 2nd. Theseseveral bearings being separate and distinct, each from the other, itadmits of the free and uninterrupted circulation of the blood throughthe tissues; not only this, but by the irritation which it produces atso many different points around and contigu` ous to the hernialopenings, it actually induces an increased influx of blood to the partsand thus secures the great desideratum for which it is intended, to wit;adhesive inflammation throughout the tissues and conbearing Whichexcludes the air.

What I claim asmy invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-The construction of the pad with a knobbed or noduled face substantiallyas herein described so that it shall press upon several distinct pointsor intervals around and upon the tissues concerned in hernia and nothave a continuous bearing, and opl5 erate as herein set forth.

J. W. RIGGS. Witnesses:

ELIAS KIRIIPA'IRIGK, WILLIAM KIRKPATRICK.

